Richardson backs off on water shifts

Campaign now says he's not proposing export to Southwest

Less than two weeks after Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson rattled Midwestern politicians by floating the idea of exporting water from the Great Lakes states to aid the parched Southwest, the New Mexico governor appears to have set a different tack.

"As president, Gov. Richardson will launch a national dialogue on water issues affecting all parts of the country, including quality, conservation, efficiency and reuse," Richardson's national press secretary said in a news release issued over the weekend. "While certain areas of the country enjoy greater water supplies than others, Richardson in no way proposes federal transfers of water from one region of the nation to the other."

That is a different message than the one Richardson sent earlier this month.

"If elected, Richardson said, he would bring states together to talk about a way for water-rich northern-tier states to help with shortages in the Southwest," the Las Vegas Sun reported in a story published Oct. 4.

The story went on to quote Richardson: "I believe that Western states and Eastern states have not been talking to each other when it comes to proper use of our water resources. I want a national water policy. We need a dialogue between states to deal with issues like water conservation, water reuse technology, water delivery and water production. States like Wisconsin are awash in water."

The Journal Sentinel contacted Richardson's campaign office Oct. 5 to confirm the Sun story had accurately captured Richardson's views, and a press representative confirmed that it did.

Those views might have won Richardson some votes in the Southwest, but they did not sit well with many Midwesterners who bristle at the idea of taking water out of the region, particularly at a time when Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior are near their record lows.

The eight Great Lakes states are in the process of trying to ratify a compact that would prohibit large-scale diversion of Great Lakes water to far-away places. The measure has yet to pass in several of the states, including Wisconsin, where some are concerned the rules are too restrictive and could be an obstacle to economic development in the region.

About Dan Egan

Dan Egan is a reporter covering the Great Lakes. His reporting on invasive species and other issues has won numerous awards. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for explanatory reporting, in 2010 and 2013.